Yarn feeding means for knitting



NOV. 18, 194-1. Q FREGEOLLE 2,263,530

YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Originai Filed June 25, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [Mm/V702.- 5441? Eszczazw;

Nov. 18, 1941. o. FREGEOLLE' 2,263,530

YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Original Filed June 25, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 27 I [MFA/T01?" z flyc'wfkic'zazzg Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE azcasso MACHINES Oscar Fregeolle, Central Falls, R. I., assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, It. 1., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application June 25, 1940, Serial -No.

Divided and this application Septem-.

ber'6, 1940, Serial No. 355,632 (CL 66-131) 4 Claims.

This case concerns an invention in feeding,

yarns to needles of knitting machines, more especially for feeding yarns such as elastic yarns to latch needles of circular, independent needle knitting machines. This case is a division of applicants co-pending application Serial #342,323, filed June 25, 1940. -In thefigures of drawings:

1 is an elevation showing certain representative parts of a typical hosiery machine and the manner'in which feeding means is operated v thereon;

Fig. 2 is an isometric view showing the novel feeding 'means as it is employed to feed a yarn covered or uncovered, that .yam should be introduced very 'close to the shanks of needles so to make certain that the same becomes engaged in the hooks of those needles which are intended to take it to the exclusion of its being caught by others. To this end a close feeding mecha nism as herein described-and claimed is to be I employed. While the same is especially useful in feeding elastic yarns as above mentioned, it is by no means limited to that use only, but is of 'universal application. While described with respect to an independent needle'knitting machine having latch needles and of circular type, the invention applies to other machines and other types of needles, and is to be employed whereever the same serves effectively in overcoming the difiiculties above referred to.

Referring to Fig. 1' certain parts of a typical hosiery machine of circular type are shown including a so-called' circular base I, cylinder 2, sinker assembly 3 and a-carrier ring 4. This carrier ring is to bejpivoted at 5 on a post 6 and skilled in the art and a description thereof being available in United States Patent #933,443. In the cylinder 2 needles generally indicated by numeral 9 are adapted to be independently actuated by certain cams and selecting mechanism not shown or described in detail in this case. Sinkers III are likewise operatively controlled by the usualmechanism in a sinker cam cap which is a part of the sinker assembly 3.

At a separate point spaced from the main feeding station or mouthpiece, a vertically disposed yam feeding finger II is fixed to one endof an angularly bent lever l2 which is in turn pivoted on the spindle 5. This lever I2 has two extensions, one more or less horizontally disposed and indicated at I 3 and a second indicated by numeral H, but disposed in substantially a vertical direction. A spring l5 normally tends to draw lever l2 and all attached parts into themsition shown in Fig. 1. That is the position in which finger II is adapted to feed its yarn (elastic or other yarn) to certain of the needles. When it is desired to withdraw a yarn fed by thelever. ll, link I6 is pulled downwardly by mechanism controlled by certain appropriate cams on the machine (not shown), this control being'what is generally termed a master controland operable for initially introducing and finally withdrawing the yarn fed to the finger ll. feeding is to be periodically interrupted as when feeding an elastic yam to spaced courses only, lever I'l fixed to aspindle or shaft l8 rotatable in bracket [9, is caused to press against the side of depending arm I4 thereby to swing the lever I2 and do what is normally referred to asjump the finger H from feeding position throughout certain desired courses. A second lever 20 is also fixed to the spindle l8 and is controlled .When the arm 12 swings to the position of Fig.

1 arm l4 contacts the stop 22.

Now-referring to Figs. 2-5, the construction of the feeding means itself is illustrated in greater detail. The finger I l is shown greatly enlarged in an extension generally indicated by numeral I, has operatively mounted a plurality of yarn.

feeding fingers or guides which function at the so-called main feeding station of the machine. These are employed to feed the usual yarns and are actuated through mechanism extending down through the Jyam lever box 8, this mechanism and its operation being well known to those tion 23 of greatly reduced thickness and an openthis yarn feeding opening or eyelet is at a level slightly above the tops of nibs of sinkers but below hooks of passing needles, that is, such needles as are to take the particular yarn fed by this I finger ll. Normally in feeding elastic yarn,

' terpreted in a limiting sense.

spaced needles only take the same and thus certain selection is employed to raise those needles while others remain in a lower elevation, preferably considerably lower or at least low enough so that hooks thereof are well below the feeding range of the yarn. As shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, the reduced end 23 of the finger H is built up or has a projection or boss 25 which serves to push the yarn outwardly against the shanks of passing needles and beneath hooks thereof. This projection 25 is beveled. at each side as shown and thehooks of selected needles pass above the top beveled edge 28 of the boss, but closerto the reduced end 23 of the finger than the outer surface 21 of the boss, which surface is parallel to the shanks of needles. As can be seen from an inspection of Figs. 4 and 5, the yarn can not fail to be taken within needle hooks since it is guided directly beneath them and needles are not drawn downwardly so that the hooks engage the yarn until they have passed the boss 25. This assures that upon introduction of the yarn y to be taken by a particular needle of a group, that needle will not fail to be the first to engage the yarn. Otherwise, with the so-called jumping finger construction, and without special needle division at the start of taking the yarn, it might vary over several needles as it was introduced. In machines of this type it is not generally practicable to move the finger to and from an active position and simultaneously interrupt the selection of needles. If needles are to take the yarn such as an elastic yarn in knitting a stocking top, those needles are selected throughout the entire knitting of the top. The yarn may be fed at spaced courses only byperiodically inserting and withdrawing it to and from feeding position. The mechanism herein described serves to assure introduction of and withdrawal of the yarn at a particular needle or wale.

The needle hooks may actually rub against the side of the extension 23 nearest thereto, or, in the event a needle passes at an extremely low level or the finger His not moved down quite as far as it should be, hooks will merely contact the front beveled edge of the boss 25 and pass without doing any damage.

The invention has been described with respect to a preferred form thereof merely by way of example and this description is not to be in- Certain modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and may be adopted without departing from the general spirit and teaching of the invention. The invention is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

LInaknitting machine'yarnfeedingmeans including a finger having an opening therein through which a yarn is to be threaded and from which it emerges to be taken in needle hooks of the machine, a projection on said finger adjacent said opening through which the yarn is threaded, having beveled surfaces for guiding the yarn into close relationship with passing needles, but so constructed and positioned as to project beneath but to avoid contact with needle hooks.

2. In a knitting machine the combination of latches and a shank portion between said hooks and latches, yarn feeding means movable to and from feeding position with respect to needles and having adjacent its lower end an opening through which a yarn is to be threaded and from which it emerges to be taken by the needles, a projection or boss having beveled surfaces leading to an outermost flat surface, said boss being so positioned and constructed as to push a feeding yarn outwardly beneath needle hooks and adjacent the shank portions thereof beneath the hooks, butso positioned as to allow needle hooks to pass above while needle latches pass beneath.

3. Yarn feeding means for knitting machines of the type described including an elongated finger of generally rectangular section, an opening at one end through which a yarn is to be threaded and from which it emerges to be taken .by the knitting 'machine needles, and a boss adjacent said opening and at substantially the same level as the opening, said boss having beveled surfaces leading from one face of the finger and outwardly to a generally flat surface parallel to the said face of the finger, said fiat surface being in a plane substantially parallel to but spaced outwardly from the surface of the finger from which the yarn would emerge.

4. A yarn feeding means for a machine including a vertically operable finger of rectangular cross-section and having a flat surface from which projects a boss, an opening through i whicha yarn is to be threaded adjacent the boss and at substantially the same height as the center of the boss and from which it would emerge to be taken by knitting machine needles, said' boss having an outermost, flat surface parallel to' the surface of the finger and beveled-sides leading back from said outer flat surface to-the surface of the finger from which a feeding yam would emerge.

OSCAR FREGEOILE. 

